Search

A floristic exploration was carried out of the epiphyllous bryophytes in Mount Tebu Forest Reserve, in the state of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Epiphyllous liverworts are reported for the first time from Terengganu. A total of 54 species from 18 genera and seven families of epiphyllous bryophytes were discovered, and of these, 43 liverworts are newly reported from Terengganu. The largest family is represented by Lejeuneaceae, with 44 species (81%) from 12 genera, and the largest genus is Cololejeunea, with 15 species (28%). Most of the species (43 spp., 69%) have an Indo-Pacific distribution.

Despite the uniqueness and reach of the flora from natural savannas in the Brazilian Amazon, and the existence of studies on its origin and diversity, there are no local studies associating floristic patterns with soil properties in savanna enclaves in the Amazon region of the state of Mato Grosso. Floristic composition and diversity were compared between a woody community from a rocky savanna inselberg in a transition region (RTS) between the two largest South American biomes (Cerrado-Amazon), and an enclave of rocky savanna in the Amazon (RAS), and the effects of soil properties were investigated. Floristic comparisons were also made between the two studied communities and two other rocky savanna communities near the Cerrado-Amazon transition. The flora and physical and chemical soil properties in twenty-five 20 × 20 m subplots (1 ha) in each community were sampled and georeferenced. An evident floristic distinction was found between the two studied communities, with low similarity values and a high number of indicator species. The observed and estimated richness and Rényi diversity profiles indicated lower species diversity in RAS than in RTS. Soils were found to be litholic, poorly drained, dystrophic, alic, extremely acidic, sandy and nutrient poor. Species composition and abundance was associated with soil properties in both communities. The clear difference in species composition and diversity between RTS and RAS seem to be shaped by soil properties, geographic isolation and floristic influence from the Cerrado and the Amazon. These results broaden the knowledge regarding the composition and diversity of woody plants of savannas in Amazonian enclaves and Cerrado inselbergs, and provide an important set of floristic and edaphic descriptors for the phytogeography of rocky savannas.

This work presents an updated list of the species belonging to the genus Phaseolus following its definition of 1978; it is the outcome of the study of eighty-six herbaria and forty-one explorations in the field in the period 1978–2019. There are currently eighty-one species, all of them native to the Americas, most of them distributed north of Panama (the genus is a migrant into South America), and half of them being known by very few records. They thrive in warm to mild temperate, seasonally dry, open forest, with rains under favorable temperature, from sea level up to 3,000 m. The recent increase in the number of recognized species is due to the endemic ones; this in combination with few unclassified specimens may indicate that the total number of species is not final yet, and that field work will be rewarding.

ATRIA, M. & VAN WELZEN, P. C. 2021. The Calamus javensis (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) complex in historical biogeographic context. Reinwardtia 20(1): 1−7. — Calamus javensis is a very polymorphic species with a number of recognisable forms (of which several were once even recognized at species level). A historical biogeographic analysis showed no historical distribution pattern in the diversification of these various forms. The forms are very likely the result of adaptation to local circumstances, whereby more or less identical forms can develop under similar niche circumstances in disjunct areas, exceptions are the ‘acuminatus-polyphyllus’ form and C. tenompokensis that are recognisable and present in a non-disjunct area.

The region of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan with 107 genera, 459 species and 204 endemic species is one of essential Umbelliferae diversity centers not only in Asia, but also in the world. The biggest Umbelliferae genera in the region are Ferula (100 species), Seseli (49), Elwendia (19), Bupleurum (18), Elaeosticta (18), Prangos (16), Semenovia (16). The diversity of the family by country is as follows: Kazakhstan (82 genera – 211 species – 28 endemic species), Uzbekistan (68 – 200 – 18, respectively), Kyrgyzstan (65 – 192 – 29), Tajikistan (65 – 176 – 20), and Turkmenistan (51 – 122 – 9). The latter differs considerably from other countries of the region not only in lesser diversity, but also in generic and specific sets, approaching the features of Iranian Umbelliferae. The distribution of species was described with regard to provinces of all five countries. The list of endemic species for each country was compiled on the basis of field, herbarium and published data. There are 16 endemic genera in Middle Asia and Kazakhstan, including Astomatopsis, Autumnalia, Fergania, Kafirnigania, Karatavia, Komarovia, Kuramosciadium, Lipskya, Mogoltavia, Paulita, Pilopleura, Schtschurowskia, Sclerotiaria, Sphaenolobium, Sphaerosciadium, and Tschulaktavia, 6 other genera being subendemics. Across the region the important border between Middle Asian (eastern part of SW Asian floristic province of the Mediterranean type) and Central Asian phytochoria passes; the former being considerably richer in the Umbelliferae than the latter.

Disjunctions are reported for Needle-leaved Sedge (Carex duriuscula) and Thread-leaved Sedge (Carex filifolia) into the Arctic region of Northwest Territories at the Husky Lakes south of Tuktoyaktuk. These are significant additions to the Canadian Arctic flora and may be part of a group of relicts of the Arctic vegetation of the Pleistocene, specifically the Tundra-steppe. The occurrence of relict vegetation east of the Mackenzie Delta is east of its frequently cited eastern limit in North America.

The flora of Masalata Natural Reserve (MNR) in the north-Western section of Libya, 90 km east of the city of Tripoli was surveyed in terms of life forms and phytogeography. Distribution and abundance values of the recorded species were determined. A total 445 of flowering plants are identified, they are distributed in 249 genera and belonging 64 Families. Annuals are predominated life form (60.9%), while parasites are the lowest (0.22%). The mono-regional Mediterranean species constitute 62.02% of the other flora. Species which are primarily Mediterranean but in some cases bi-regional with 30.78% and pluri-regional account for 14.38%.

AIM: Existing phytogeographical frameworks for tropical Africa lack either spatial completeness, unit definitions smaller than the regional scale or a quantitative approach. We investigate whether physical environmental variables can be used to interpolate floristically defined vegetation units, presenting an interpolated, hierarchical, quantitative phytogeographical framework for tropical Africa, which is compared to previously defined regions. LOCATION: Tropical mainland Africa 24°N to 24°S. TAXON: 31,046 vascular plant species and infraspecific taxa. METHODS: We calculate a betasim dissimilarity matrix from a comprehensive whole‐flora database of plant species distributions. We investigate environmental correlates of floristic turnover with local non‐metric multidimensional scaling. We derive a hierarchical biogeographical framework by clustering the dissimilarity matrix. The framework is modelled using a classification decision tree method and 12 physical environmental variables to interpolate and increase the resolution of the framework across the study region. RESULTS: Floristic turnover is related strongly to water availability and temperature, with smaller contributions from land cover, topographic ruggedness and lithology. Region can be predicted with 90% accuracy by the model. We define 19 regions and 99 districts. We find a novel arrangement of the arid regions. Regional subdivision within the savanna biome is supported with minor variation to borders. Within the forests of west and central Africa, our whole‐flora gridded regionalization supports the divisions identified by a previous analysis of trees only. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Physical environmental variables can be used to predict floristically defined vegetation units with very high accuracy, and the approach could be pursued for other incompletely sampled taxa and areas outside of tropical Africa. Geographical coherence is higher than in previous quantitative phytoregional definitions. For most tropical African vascular plant species, we provide predictions of which species will occur within each mapped district and region of tropical Africa. The framework should be useful for future studies in ecology, evolution and conservation.

Funding Information: We thank Guido W. Grimm, Orleans, France for commenting an earlier version of this manuscript, and two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions to improve this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors The fossil record of Lythrum is scarce and every new find brings an extra piece of the puzzle to the obscure phytogeographic history of this genus. Lythrum pollen is unique and has the potential to be recognized in palynological assemblages. Therefore, the few pre-Holocene fossil records are all pollen described from North America, Russia, and Europe. The European records are both most numerous and geologically younger than those from other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Earliest European Lythrum pollen records are of late Miocene age and parallel to starting crown group radiation in the Eurasian clade of Lythrum. European Miocene to Pliocene Lythrum pollen morphology is comparable to that of extant species. Interestingly, the late Miocene expansion of Lythrum into Europe coincides with the decline of Decodon, and Lythrum appears to replace Decodon in late Neogene fossil palynological assemblages. publishersversion published

Four distinct new Euryops taxa, E. dasyphyllus J.H.J. Vlok, E. bertilii J.H.J. Vlok, E. diosmiphyllus J.H.J. Vlok and E. subcarnosus DC. subsp. fallax J.H.J. Vlok, from the Klein Karoo (Western Cape Province, South Africa) are described. A conservation status is proposed for each of the taxa and amendments to current keys are provided to include these new taxa. A note is provided on the phytogeography of Euryops in this region.

Variations in phytogeography of Jal Al-Zor wadi system in Sabah Al Ahmad Nature Reserve, an arid national park in Kuwait, in relation to physiographic and edaphic conditions were investigated using alpha diversity and multivariate analyses. A total of 66 plant species were recorded at low-relief and high-relief wadis. Altitude and slope gradients, grain size distribution and soil texture properties had a significant relationship with plant cover and plant diversity. There was a high diversity of life-forms along the wadi system with a dominant of therophytes (annuals) particularly in spring after winter rainfalls. Chamaephytes and hemicryptophytes were the dominant perennial life-forms. A chorological analysis documents the strong effect of Saharo-Arabian chorotype on the vegetation of the study area. Cluster analysis clarified eight vegetation assemblages along altitude and slope gradients within the wadi system. Alpha diversity of plant species was greater in plant assemblages at low-relief wadis than at high-relief wadis. Vegetation structure in this study showed that phytogeographically, wadis of Jal Al-Zor were closely related to the wadis in the Arabian deserts. The slope gradient pattern and edaphic conditions of plant assemblages and plant diversity in the conserved wadis of Jal Al-Zor may be suggested as a reference model for restoration strategy of disturbed low elevated wadis in the surrounding desert regions. Restoration would include propagation of suitable plants such as Stipagrostis plumosa - Haloxylon salicornicum - Rhanterium epapposum.

Aims Understanding the factors that control biodiversity distributions at different spatial scales has been a key challenge for conservation efforts. That biodiversity, reflected in differences in species compositions among sites (beta diversity), can be derived from species replacement (turnover) and is driven by multiple factors. Here, we sought to tackle this issue through two questions related to threatened Brazilian seasonally dry forests: (i) what is the contribution of species turnover to beta diversity? and (ii) which factors drive variations in species compositions among forest patches? Methods We sampled tree species and environmental variables (soils and climate) in 17 dry forest patches spaced almost 300 km apart. We used the beta diversity partitioning framework to determine the contribution of turnover. We used redundancy analysis, with properly controlled spatial structure, to assess the contributions of the environmental and spatial factors to the variations of the species composition. Important Findings Beta diversity among the patches was mainly represented by the turnover component (98.2%), with Simpson dissimilarity superior to other regions of the country (means of 0.89 and 0.71 in multiple site and pairwise measures, respectively). The environmental factors measured explained more than space, representing 30.3% of the variation of the species composition, of which 28.1% was nonspatially structured. We suggest that 300 km represents a threshold at which edaphic and climatic predictors have similar effects in determining community turnover (14.9% and 12.6%, respectively, without spatial structure). Thus, conservation strategies should be considered across landscapes to effectively protect tropical forest diversity, as even considering the different climatic aspects covered by the scale, landscaped edaphic varieties are important drivers of species turnover.

We evaluated the floristic and structural composition of a tree community in an ecotone between Cerrado (cerradão) and Atlantic Forest (seasonal semideciduous forest) domains located in Porto Ferreira State Park (PFSP), southeastern Brazil. We compared the floristic relationships of this ecotone with those of previous surveys carried out on the same vegetation types and checked the species distribution among the Brazilian biomes. We sampled all living trees with PBH>10 cm in 64 10x10 m plots (0.64 ha), totaling 1,755 individuals belonging to 101 species and 37 families. The richest families were Myrtaceae (13 spp.) and Fabaceae (11 spp.), and Siparuna guianensis was the most abundant species (188 individuals). We reported two threatened species. A great number of species are widely distributed, occurring in different Brazilian biomes. Floristic similarity values were low among the selected studies, but our sampled community clustered with communities of cerradão and ecotone areas of previous surveys. Our results corroborate that ecotonal areas have great tree diversity and the predominance of widely distributed species. This fact, combined with the vegetation thickening verified through historical photographs, reinforces that the study area belongs to an under-changing ecotone. Mata Atlântica encontrando o Cerrado: florística, estrutura e distribuição de espécies de uma comunidade arbórea ecotonal RESUMO: No presente estudo, avaliamos a composição florística e estrutura de uma comunidade arbórea de um ecótono entre o Cerrado (cerradão) e a Floresta Atlântica (floresta estacional semidecidual) localizado no Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira (PEPF), sudeste do Brasil. Verificamos também as relações florísticas com outros levantamentos realizados nestas fitofisionomias, e analisamos a distribuição das espécies nos domínios fitogeográficos brasileiros. Para isso amostramos todos os indivíduos vivos com PAP >10cm em 64 parcelas de 10x10m (0,64 ha), totalizando 1755 indivíduos pertencentes a 101 espécies e 37 famílias. As famílias mais ricas em espécies foram Myrtaceae (13 espécies) e Fabaceae (11) sendo Siparuna guianensis a espécie mais abundante (188 indivíduos). Registramos duas espécies ameaçadas de extinção e verificamos um grande número de espécies com ampla distribuição entre os domínios fitogeográficos do Brasil. Encontramos baixos valores de similaridade florísticas entre as áreas analisadas, e a comunidade amostrada apresentou maior similaridade com levantamentos realizados em área de cerradão e ecótonos. Em síntese, os resultados corroboram a grande diversidade arbórea de áreas ecotonais, e o predomínio de espécies com ampla distribuição. Esse fato associado ao adensamento da vegetação verificado em série fotográfica histórica, reforçam que a área do estudo pertence a um ecótono em transformação. Palavras-chave: ecótono; cerradão; floresta estacional semidecidual; fitogeografia; similaridade florísticas. ABSTRACT: We evaluated the floristic and structural composition of a tree community in an ecotone between Cerrado (cerradão) and Atlantic Forest (seasonal semideciduous forest) domains located in Porto Ferreira State Park (PFSP), southeastern Brazil. We compared the floristic relationships of this ecotone with those of previous surveys carried out on the same vegetation types and checked the species distribution among the Brazilian biomes. We sampled all living trees with PBH>10 cm in 64 10x10 m plots (0.64 ha), totaling 1,755 individuals belonging to 101 species and 37 families. The richest families were Myrtaceae (13 spp.) and Fabaceae (11 spp.), and Siparuna guianensis was the most abundant species (188 individuals). We reported two threatened species. A great number of species are widely distributed, occurring in different Brazilian biomes. Floristic similarity values were low among the selected studies, but our sampled community clustered with communities of cerradão and ecotone areas of previous surveys. Our results corroborate that ecotonal areas have great tree diversity and the predominance of widely distributed species. This fact, combined with the vegetation thickening verified through historical photographs, reinforces that the study area belongs to an under-changing ecotone. Keywords: ecotone; cerradão; seasonal semideciduous forest; phytogeography; floristic similarities.

The moss Exobryum fragilicuspis (Broth.) R.H.Zander is reported from the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, in Jasper National Park. The species is synonymous with several previously recognized taxa, including Didymodon fragilicuspis Broth., Didymodon gaochienii B.C.Tan & Y.Jia, Didymodon murrayae Otnyukova, and Vinealobryum murrayae (Otnyukova) R.H.Zander. Exobryum fragilicuspis is distinctive in having specialized caducous propagules with barrel-shaped segments at the leaf apices. These detach readily and cause the apices of developed leaves to appear broken. Despite these distinctive features, the species is rarely reported in North America, where it was previously known from three sites in Alaska and British Columbia. The collection from Alberta is the most recent in 30 years in North America, and provides new insights into the species' distribution and ecology. Features of Exobryum fragilicuspis are compared to other related species from North America.

Aspects of the floristics and phytogeography of species of Kalanchoe Adans. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in the Waterberg, Limpopo province, northern South Africa, are discussed. In 2001 the Waterberg, which covers an area of 654,033ha (1,616,150.74 acres), was recognised as a Biosphere Reserve. It is shown that after eastern southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, eastern Limpopo, South Africa; Eswatini (formerly) Swaziland; southern Mozambique), the Waterberg has the most diverse Kalanchoe flora in southern Africa. A floristic synopsis of, and an identification key to, the kalanchoes of the Waterberg is presented. All the species are described and illustrated.

The liverwort and hornwort flora of the Korean Peninsula possesses some unique traits arising from the geographic position of the Peninsula, where the mainland flora meets insular flora. This flora is still not exhaustively studied, due not only to political reasons, but also because much less attention has been paid than to adjacent lands by hepaticologists. A checklist presented is based on a study of ca. 15,500 specimens collected by the authors and a review of relevant literature. This study provides the checklist of liverworts and hornworts known from Korea and the geographical distribution of each species within the peninsula. The liverworts and hornworts in Korean flora include 346 taxa (326 species, 16 subspecies and four varieties) in 112 genera and 50 families. Since 2007, 75 taxa of liverworts and four taxa of hornworts are reported as new to the Korean Peninsula, with a number of the new records arising following application of new taxonomic concepts that have become apparent over the last few decades. While compiling the checklist, 42 species, previously reported to Korea, are excluded from the Korean liverwort flora.

The liverwort flora of Ayan was first investigated one hundred and fifty years after the first exploration of vascular plants. A number of factors has determined the relatively high taxonomic diversity of liverworts in this hemiarctic flora of small-sized area: 118 species and one subspecies were revealed. These data are new not only for the studied area, but also for the huge land adjacent to the western coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. The liverwort flora possesses the domination of taxa common in the hemiarctic, although with a lot of taxa more common in boreal as well as arctic-alpine environments. The presence of Mega-Beringian and calciphilous taxa is the peculiar trait of the studied liverwort flora. Based on detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), Ayan liverwort flora shows relationships to the continental mainland floras situated both in North-East Asian hemiarctic and hemiboreal East Asia and is, therefore, the link between both. The flora of Ayan surroundings is one of the newly-filled ‘blank spots’ in the possible floral exchange way between Arctic Northeast Asia and mountainous floras of temperate East Asia.

The phytogeographic and floristic connections of the “Montes de Maria” (MM: north of Colombia) were analyzed through Geographic Information Systems, at worldwide, Neotropical and in Colombia scales in order to determine its geographical origin and floristic affinities. We estimated that genera are mostly of the Neotropical (74%) and Nearctic (26%) origin. At the Neotropical level, MM is located at the Pacific dominion and shares species with the Mesoamerican dominion. In addition, shares species with the Chaquena, Antilles subregions, and the South American and Mexican transition zones. At the regional level, the MM is located between Guajira and Magdalena provinces, although is floristically more similar to Guajira province. MM shape a floristic unit together with other fragments of dry forest in the Colombian Caribbean, which is highly related to dry forests of the inter-Andean valleys. In addition, the floristic origin of MM is associated to dry flora of Mesoamerica, nonetheless it was also influenced by the Amazonian and the Sabana province.

The Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot in central Brazil that is the largest expanse of savanna in the Neotropics. Here, we aim to identify and delimit biogeographic districts within the Cerrado, to provide a geographic framework for conservation planning and scientific research prioritization. We used data from 588 sites with tree species inventories distributed across the entire Cerrado. To identify districts, we clustered sites based on their similarity in tree species composition. To investigate why districts differ in composition, we (1) determined the proportion of tree species in different districts that derive from other biomes, to assess the influence of neighbouring biomes upon geographically marginal districts and (2) assayed key climatic differences between districts, to test the effect of environmental factors upon compositional differences. We found seven biogeographic districts within the Cerrado. Marginal districts have a large proportion of tree species characteristic of Amazonia and Atlantic Forest, but the Cerrado endemic species are also important. Further, districts differed significantly for multiple climatic variables. Finally, to provide a preliminary conservation assessment of the different districts, we assessed their rate of land conversion and current coverage by protected areas. We found that districts in the south and southwest of the Cerrado have experienced the greatest land conversion and are the least protected, while those in the north and northeast are less impacted and better protected. Overall, our results show how biogeographic analyses can contribute to conservation planning by giving clear guidelines on which districts merit greater conservation and management attention.

Introduction. The Kuril Islands Chain demarcates the boundary between the circumpolar and East Asian floras in the amphi-Pacific and is a trans-Oceanic migration route from warm-temperate insular E...

Nineteen geographical records for species of Odonata in 2 provinces of Argentina are documented. We provided records for 9 newly recorded species for Córdoba: Lestes spatula Fraser, 1946, Andinagrion peterseni (Ris, 1908), Argentagrion ambiguum (Ris, 1904), Erythemis attala (Selys in Sagra, 1857), Erythemis plebeja (Burmeister, 1839), Erythrodiplax media Borror, 1942, Micrathyria longifasciata Calvert, 1909, Micrathyria hypodidyma Calvert, 1906, and Tramea cophysa Hagen, 1867. In San Luis, we provided records for 10 newly recorded species: Hetaerina rosea Selys, 1853, Acanthagrion lancea Selys, 1876, Ischnura fluviatilis Selys, 1876, Oxyagrion rubidium (Rambur, 1842), Castoraeschna decurvata Dunkle & Cook, 1984, Rhionaeschna pallipes (Fraser, 1947), Phyllocycla argentina (Hagenin Selys, 1878), Erythrodiplax corallina (Brauer, 1865), Perithemis mooma Kirby, 1889, and Planiplax erythropyga (Karsch, 1891). Among these records, we extend the geographic distribution of A. peterseni and R. pallipes, which areendemic to Argentina and recorded P. erythropyga for the first time in Chaco phytogeographic province Fil: Márquez, Javier Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Principe, Romina Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente.; Argentina Fil: Berejnoi, Diego E.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina Fil: Rodríguez, José S.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina Fil: Bedano, José Camilo. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente.; Argentina Fil: Molineri, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina

AIMS: We offer a first classification of South Brazilian grasslands (Campos Sulinos) based on quantitative vegetation data and describing grassland types in terms of dominant and indicator species. LOCATION: South Brazilian grasslands (Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul states). METHODS: We described vegetation plots in 167 sampling units throughout the region using a stratified nested design, totalizing 1,502 1 m² quadrats. We classified vegetation using cluster analysis based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarities, establishing three vegetation types and ten subtypes. We conducted indicator species analysis within the resulting subtypes, and for all possible combinations of subtypes. RESULTS: In the cluster analyses, a clear separation of poorly drained grasslands from the drier sites appeared. Further, a clear distinction between grasslands in the South Brazilian highland region, situated in the Atlantic Forest biome, and the grasslands of the Pampa biome, to the south, emerged, reflecting climatic and management differences. Highland grasslands showed lower species cover dominance, while in the Pampa, Paspalum notatum clearly was the most important species and the abundance of exotic species was higher. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides the first classification of South Brazilian grasslands based on quantitative vegetation data recorded in a standardized sampling design. The data support the division of grasslands into the main phytogeographic units of the region (Brazilian biome classification). Grasslands in these two regions also differ in terms of species dominance pattern (higher dominance in Pampa grasslands, likely also due to higher grazing levels) and in terms of conservation state (low presence of exotic species in highland grasslands). Our results are important for conservation policies, which can now consider the presence of different grassland types in different region, but more data will be necessary for a more detailed classification that considers different abiotic features in more detail.

Wetlands are among the most fragile habitats on Earth and have often undergone major environmental changes. As a study case in this context, the present work aims at increasing the floristic knowledge of a reclaimed land now turned into an agricultural lowland with scarce patches of natural habitats. The study area is named Piana di Rosia, and it is located in southern Tuscany (Italy). The compiled checklist consists of 451 specific and subspecific taxa of vascular plants. The life-form spectrum shows a predominance of hemicryptophytes, followed by therophytes. The chorological spectrum highlights a co-dominance of Euri-Mediterranean and Eurasian species along with many widely distributed species. The checklist includes seven species of conservation concern, three Italian endemics (Crocus etruscus Parl., Polygala vulgaris L. subsp. valdarnensis (Fiori) Arrigoni, and Scabiosa uniseta Savi), 41 alien species, 21 segetal species, and 11 aquatic macrophytes of which five helophytes and six hydrophytes. This study suggests that irreversible land-use changes in wetlands can lead towards a simplification of the flora. However, despite the deep transformations that the former wetland has undergone, the presence of some aquatic and protected taxa is interesting. From a conservation point of view, the natural value of this agricultural area could be enhanced and its current management partly reconsidered, thus preserving the remnants of naturalness present.

Two American species of moss, Ephemerum homomallum Müll. Hal. (Pottiaceae) and Torrentaria aquatica (A. Jaeger) Ochyra (Brachytheciaceae), are reported as new to Africa, based on collections from the Limpopo and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, respectively. These discoveries changed the phytogeographical status of both species, which now belong to the Afro-American distribution element. Global geographical ranges of these two species are reviewed and mapped, and the amphiatlantic distribution pattern of mosses is briefly summarized. A history of the muscological exploration of southern Africa is briefly considered and recent additions to the moss flora of this area are reviewed.

The original material of Isopterygium tristaniense Dixon, an endemic species of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago in the central South Atlantic Ocean, is taxonomically evaluated and some details of its morphology are illustrated. The species is found to be conspecific with the Holarctic Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans (Brid.) Z.Iwats. and it is the third record of the species in the Southern Hemisphere. The global distribution of this species is reviewed and the distribution patterns of the South Atlantic mosses are briefly discussed.

The United States is currently home to five native cycad species. We provide a discussion on these five cycad species to illuminate how evolutionary and geopolitical processes influence phytogeography and published checklists of threatened plants. The number of threatened species in need of protection within any given country is a product of speciation that is contingent with evolutionary processes. However, this number may change instantaneously along with shifting of geopolitical boundaries brought about by armed conflict between rival states and multilateral negotiations. There are five contemporary cycad species within the United States, and the various historical bilateral and multilateral agreements that have generated this list are reviewed. Three of these five cycad species are threatened and in need of urgent protection. A discussion on the history of United States cycads as a microcosm of worldwide conservation issues is presented, with a focus on how federal conservation endeavors of individual nations may influence the world’s biodiversity crisis.

Bryophytes and lichens are outstanding bioindicators, not only of the plant community in which they develop, but also the substrates on which they grow. Some epiphytic cryptogams, particularly the rare ones, are stenotopic and require a long habitat continuity, for example substrates such as old trees. It could also be a tea plantation, this is because the shrubs are not felled, and most of them may have several dozen years. In addition, the shrubs are not subject to sudden changes in microclimatic conditions as only the young leaves are harvested. As the importance of tea plantations as host plants for mosses and lichens has not yet been studied, the present study examines the species diversity of cryptogams of two tea plantations in Georgia (Caucasus). The study also examines the phytogeography, spatial pattern, environmental conditions and ecological indicators of the cryptogams. Thirty-nine cryptogam taxa were identified; typical forest taxa dominated, even in the absence of typical forest communities. Some of these species are obligatory epiphytes, rare or even critically endangered in most European countries (e.g., Orthotrichum stellatum, O. stramineum, Lewinskya striata). The fairly abundant record of such species on tea plantations indicates the importance of these phytocoenoses for the preservation of rare species, and indicates that these habitats are hot spots for these cryptogams in otherwise changed envirnonment. Additionally, as indicated the analysis of the species composition of individual plantations and the mathematical analysis made on this basis, plantations differ from each other. Another interesting result is also the spatial distributions of cryptogams on tea bushes resemble those of forest communities and lichens seems to be more sensitive than bryophytes to antropogenic changes of environment.

The present study surveyed the flora of the Jebel Fayfa region, South-West Saudi Arabia to analyze four elements of the vegetation: floristic diversity, life form, lifespan, and phytogeographical affinities. A total of 341 species of vascular plants were recorded belonging to 240 genera in 70 families, of which 101 species distributed among 40 families were considered as new additions to the flora of Jabal Fayfa. Six species are considered endemic to the study area while 27 are endangered. The most represented families were Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae. The flora of Jabal Fayfa exhibited a high degree of monotypism. A total of 20 families (28.57%) were represented by a single species, and 180 genera (75.00%) were monotypic. The recorded flora consists of 70.09% perennials and 29.91% annuals. Phanerophytes and therophytes were the most frequent lifeforms. Phytogeographical analysis revealed that the biregional elements of the Saharo-Arabian/Sudano-Zambezian chorotype are the most dominant chorotypes (35.48%), forming two-thirds of the floristic structure in Jabal Fayfa. The new additions to the local flora of the region indicate that the Jabal Fayfa region and the country need further thorough botanical exploration and documentation which would help in adding several species to the flora of Saudi Arabia.

The Fagaceae family is currently widespread throughout tropical and temperate regions of South America and the Northern Hemisphere, especially East Asia, and has likely been so since the Eocene, according to fossil records. In China, Fagaceae fossils are rare in the lowest latitudes of South China. Here, we describe 12 species in 5 genera of Fagaceae (i.e. Berryophyllum, Castaneophyllum, Quercus, Castanopsis and Lithocarpus) based on leaf morphology and trichomes. These fossils are recovered from the Changchang Formation of Changchang Basin, Hainan Island, South China, indicating that Fagaceae has been distributed in these tropical low latitudes since the Eocene. Given that our fossils are closely related to the tropical and subtropical extant species, we speculate that Fagaceae lineages have likely diverged since the Eocene and that each extant lineage, such as Quercus sect. Cyclobalanopsis, became highly differentiated no later than middle Eocene. Based on the current living conditions of the extant species, we further speculate that the climate of Hainan Island was warm and wet during the middle Eocene, suitable for the growth and differentiation of the family.

Currently is not available a complex archaeophyte definition based on the same criteria in Europe, and it cause significant anomalies between neighbouring countries. The main aim of our work was to provide the criteria which based on the available lists and chorological information. For this purpose, the archaeophyte flora of 15 European countries was compared in our research. The list of available resources has been revised and completed, taking into account the distribution data of the species. The lists were merged to contain 560 species. The majority of the plants in the merged list belong to the Asteraceae and Poaceae families with 74 and 55 species, respectively. The Chenopodium genus is characterized by the most frequent occurrence (14 species). More than half of the plants are annual and 151 species belong to Eurasian geoelements. The greatest numbers of species were observed in Crete (461 species) and Greece (460 species) and the smallest numbers were observed in Ireland (240 species) and England (241 species). In case of individual countries, plants with composite flowers, annual life form and Eurasian elements represent the highest volume, but the number of southern geoelements is also significant. All lists included anaecophytes archaeophytes. Comparison of revised lists showed 83-99% similarity. Using with this method can be formed an international archaeophyte database, which based on phytogeographical distribution and helps future researchers.